Angel Maker
by snarkvenger
Summary: Ghosts connected to the one who killed them, can't rest until he's captured. Don't fret, spirits, I'll make sure he's arrested. I'll take you to the light where you'll all become angels. /DISCONTINUED.
1. A Note To the Reader

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. This plot, although inspired by Ghost Whisperer, is mine. Em is also mine.

**A note to the reader:**

I cannot give you my name in order to protect myself incase this book falls into the wrong hands. You can call me Em. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure why I am writing this all down. Maybe so that someday I can look back on this time of my life, although I've never felt the need to do that before. Or maybe it's so that, in the event of my death before this whole case comes to a close, my notes may be helpful in putting a murderer behind bars.

That's right. The Kira case.

I should probably let whoever is reading this know a little more about me, huh? Unless, of course, you're Kira. Then you'll probably have learned all of this before you killed me. Anyway, I'm not like other people. Ever since I was young I've been a little different from everyone else. I can…Well, the plain and simple truth is I see ghosts. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. You probably think I have some sort of mental disorder, but my mother always told me that the only people who need to believe that statement are me and the dead who need me. No one else matters.

Anyway, I've had some interesting spirits coming to me recently. Whenever they come near me I get a sharp pain in my chest, like my heart is stopping. I keep having dreams about sudden deaths. People standing there, talking to me calmly one minute and then in the next second they just drop to the floor.

I've done some research and have deduced that these spirits are victims of Kira's killings. They can't accept their deaths because they weren't ready for them. One had whispered that he will not move into the light until he sees his killer in the same place he was at his time of death: behind bars.

An appropriate place for a mass murderer, no?

So it seems the only way I can help these spirits is to make sure Kira is arrested. It's a difficult task to accomplish, and will defiantly involve risks. Just being a part of the investigation means risking my life. Hopefully this won't lead to my death, but if it does the pages of this journal will be what I leave behind, a little piece of me to stay in the world after I leave.

**A/N--**

I know it's a short beginning. I'll post up the first chapter in the morning, I'm quite tired now.

Shadeslayer


	2. January 2nd, 2009

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of its characters, but I do own this plot and Em. I forgot to mention in the intro, but the title of this story, Angel Maker, is credited to my friend Sarah the Slayer. Thanks dude!

**January 2****nd****, 2009**

His name is Lind L. Tailor. He came to me in a dream last night, the first ghost-related dream of this year. A celebratory occasion? Eh, I'll pour myself some champagne later. Back to Mr. Tailor.

He was a death row inmate at his time of death. He had been used as a dummy so that detectives could learn how Kira killed. He said that he was told to pose as L, the "World's Greatest Detective", on a television broadcast about Kira. He had been given a deceleration to read to the public about how Kira is evil. He was killed during that international broadcast. Hundreds of millions of people saw him collapse onto his desk after suffering a heart attack.

After the dream I couldn't get back to sleep. I kept hearing Lind's voice in my head, telling his story over and over again until I could recite it myself word for word. I got out of bed and sat at the computer and researched the Kira case. The only things that came up where a few websites of Kira supporters and Kira haters and some web pages on people named Kira who I'd never heard of.

I couldn't see how looking through those websites would help me find out who Kira is. I typed 'Lind L. Tailor' into the search bar, thinking that maybe some news article would be able to tell me something Lind hadn't. The first few links only led me to websites with the same information Lind had given me, but once I got further along the results I found an official newspaper article printed the day after Lind's death.

Turns out the true L had taken over the broadcast after Lind died. He told everybody about who Lind L. Tailor actually was and then informed the world that just by observing Lind's death he was able to conclude that Kira is in Kanto, Japan. That kind of frightened me, as I live only a few cities away from Kanto, but this report was written so long ago that there is a 50 percent chance that Kira has moved from Kanto. At least that's what I think. Whatever I have to tell myself to make myself feel better, right?

Ok, I'm going to do something I've never attempted before. I'm going to let you in on the process of helping an earthbound spirit move into the light. Think about solving a jigsaw puzzle. You work to put all the pieces in their place, and once you think you're done you find you're missing a few pieces. You have to search for those before you can finish, and sometimes they end up altering the puzzle because maybe you misplaced a piece along the way.

The same thing happens when you're dealing with a ghost. Earthbound spirits have unfinished business to deal with in the physical world before they are ready to move on to their new world. Most of the time, they can't tell you directly. They give you clues, drop hints, and leave it up to you to figure out what they want. It's almost like detective work. Find the evidence, decipher what it means, and come up with a conclusion.

This, however, is going to be different.

I have multiple to ghosts to deal with this time, and it's going to be important for me to listen to everything that each one of them has to say so that I can pinpoint the man being called Kira and bring him to justice.

Well…At least there's no pressure looming over me, right?

Maybe this is too much to take on. Why do these ghosts have to come to _me _of all people?

Ok I'm rambling now. Let's get back to what we were originally talking about.

So now I know that Kira's last and only known origin is Kanto. That's a pretty good start I guess. Now I know I said 50 chance of Kira having moved, but I think that was being optimistic. If he was able to stay in Kanto without the investigative team finding him then why would he have any reason to move? So there's more of a 5 chance that he's not there. Damn.

My chest is starting to hurt. It's like…Like my heart is working too hard…Or maybe it's not working hard enough.

_Find him…_

Lind? Lind L. Tailor? Is that you?

_Please…Help me…Find him…_

That's not Lind's voice. I would recognize it if it were. This is someone new.

_I didn't deserve to die…_

My vision is getting blurry, my heart feels like its stopping…This must be how this particular spirit died. Another heart attack. Another Kira victim.

_I could have stopped him…_

My breathing is getting heavier.

_I should have been more careful…_

Why won't he just tell me who he is?

_Find him…Find him…_

The pain is too severe, it feels like I'm about to be torn in two. I can't take it anymore.

_…Help me…_

--

About an hour later and I've finally woken up. I have no pain, which is both good and bad. Good because it hurt like hell. Bad because that spirit needs to show me that pain in order to speak to me and without it I have no way of communicating with him.

For now I'll just have to work with the information I got from Lind.

"I don't have much to offer." It's Lind. I turn around and meet his blank eyes.

"You might have more information than you think," I tell him.

"I don't understand." We're in my bedroom, and I'm seated at my desk in front of the computer. Lind takes a seat across the room from me on my bed. "What do you mean?"

"What can you tell me about your death?" I ask.

"I told you everything I remember," he says.

"Are you sure there's nothing else?"

A pause…and then he's gone. That's the one thing I really don't like about ghosts. If they don't want to talk to you they can just fade away.

"Lind?" I don't know why I bother to call him; I know he's not going to answer.

Although someone else does, when that pain in my chest slowly creeps back. It's the same voice from before.

_Help me._

And then they're both gone.

**A/N--**

Yeah, that was weird. But fun. I like creating the ghost's personalities. Be prepared for more Lind L. Tailor appearences, and that unknown ghost seems to appear at least once in every chapter (if I remember correctly...). Next chapter features Shibutaku, the biker guy that Light killed when he first recieved the Death Note to see if the Note worked. Please read and review. Flames will be used to torture (I mean...roast) innocent marshmallows.

Shadeslayer


	3. January 4th & 5th, 2009

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, but any OCs and the plot belong to me. Story title credited to Sarah the Slayer.

**January 4****th****, 2009**

I spent all day yesterday on the computer researching the Kira case. Every now and then my chest would start hurting again, but that spirit didn't say anything. And Lind L. Tailor has yet to return. I'm not sure if he will. But a new ghost visited today. He was full of anger, I could feel it pouring off him.

"I shouldn't have been killed," he said.

"What's your name?" I asked him. He didn't know. He told me he remembers being called Shibutaku. "How did you die?"

"Motorcycle accident. Truck hit me." I grimaced. That explained his appearance. There was blood all over his clothes and he held his left arm close to his body as if it were hurt.

"Do you know when you died?"

"November."

"November 2008?" I asked.

"No, 2003." I found that strange. Spirits don't usually wait around that long. He must have noticed that this was what I was thinking about because he asked, "What year is it now? Its still 2003, isn't it?"

"No," I told him. "It's 2009."

"It's…" He leaned against the wall. "It's been…Almost six years…"

"You didn't know?"

"I…I just came back," he said.

"Came back from where?" I prodded. I guessed from death, but I've been wrong before.

"I don't know…It was bright there, peaceful…It was the first place that felt like home." Yup, I was wrong. He'd gone into the light. But…

"Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "Why did you come back?"

"I kept on feeling restless. I felt like I didn't belong there, like there was something that had to be settled here before I could stay there."

Remember how I was telling you that spirits are earthbound because they have unfinished business with the living? Well this is the perfect example of that. Like Shibutaku, they do not feel like they can rest in peace until they tie up lose ends with people they knew during their lifetime. So apparently Shibutaku was pushed out of the light because he had something to attend to, and now it's my job to help him.

And I won't be able to get back to the Kira case until I do.

_The Kira case…_

Not this again. Ghosts chose the greatest times to pop up, don't they?

_This man…He died before his time…He's a victim…_

Shibutaku? A victim?

_Find Kira…Help us both…_

I start to get a sharp pain in my chest and my vision becomes so distorted I can no longer see Shibutaku in front of me. I'm not even entirely sure he's there.

_Find Kira…_

"Leave me alone…"

"Hmm?" The pain starts to subside and I look up to see that Shibutaku had not left. "Did you say something?"

"N-No…Sorry."

So…If this unknown spirit is correct, Shibutaku was killed by Kira. This means that Kira cannot only control when someone dies, but how they die. Which means that it's going to be harder for me sort out which spirits are troubled Kira victims and which spirits are just troubled.

"Shibutaku…Have you heard of Kira?" He shook his head and I wondered if that other spirit had been lying just to mess with my head. It's entirely possible. I should just figure this one out like it were any other ghost, I can go back to investigating the Kira case later.

Shibutaku waits as I type his name into a search bar, along with the words 'motorcycle accident'. When none of the results include the name Shibutaku I add in 'Kanto, Japan'. If he _was _killed by Kira, then his death would have occurred in Kanto.

The first result on the page was: November 28, 2003- Biker Killed In Kanto Streets.

This has to be it. I click on the link and begin reading the article. I decide to record it here, just in case I ever need to look back on it.

**"**28-year old Takuo Shibuimaru was killed on November 28, 2003. As he rode his motorcycle through the streets of Kanto, Japan, the biker was unexpectedly hit by a truck. Shibuimaru's friends, Tomohiro Tockar and Lee Nishimura, were in shock as they watched the accident occur right before their eyes. "It was like slow-motion," Tockar said when he was asked to describe the crash. Nishimura added, "I never thought something like this could happen to any one of us. It really makes you put things into perspective."**"**

Takuo Shibuimaru…Shibutaku…Coincidence? I think not.

The article does not mention any family members that Shibutaku is survived by, so my best bet is hunt down Tomohiro Tockar and Lee Nishimura and see if they can help me uncover what is keeping Shibutaku in the physical world.

**January 5****th****, 2009**

Last night Shibutaku had vanished before I had a chance to ask him about his friends. I doubt he would have been able to remember them anyway, especially if he couldn't recall his own name. So I researched the two bikers myself.

Tomohiro Tockar had moved after Shibutaku's death. I found his blog online, where he talked about his new life. I went through some archived entries, learning that after the accident he couldn't seem to get back on his bike. He'd had nightmares for months about dying the way Shibutaku did, or sometimes his imagination would get the better of him and he'd dream up even more horrifying, motorcycle-related deaths. But he kept his bike in memory of his fallen ally. At least, for a while. He finally moved in 2006, after being married. He finally sold his motorcycle and used the money to buy a larger home (his wife was pregnant with twins, and their tiny apartment would not be enough for a growing family). In his most recent entry, Tockar informed all readers that his wife gave birth to two healthy baby girls. He posted their very first pictures and stated that the babies would be coming home in two days.

After reading and re-reading all of Tomohiro Tockar's blog entries, it became clear to me that he had struggled to come to terms with the death of his friend and that he was trying to leave the past behind him. It would kill me to re-open this poor man's wounds, so I simply left a comment congratulating him and his wife and moved on to finding Lee Nishimura.

Lee did not have a blog for me to sift through. He did not have a website for me to explore. He did not have newspaper articles written about him. He was, however, listed in the phonebook. I'd recently received a 2009 edition of the book and was thrilled to find the name 'Nishimura' on one of the pages.

He still lived near Kanto. Since talking to people in person about the matter of ghosts (it's quite difficult for them to hang up on you and screen your later calls if you are standing in front of them) I decided it would be best if I paid Mr. Nishimura a visit.

Lee Nishimura's apartment building was located in the dingy outskirts of Kanto. Even in daylight the streets seemed dark. As I approached the building I noted the small group of maybe four men standing on the corner smoking and made a mental note to avoid going home that way.

The lobby of the building was kept in surprisingly good condition, especially considering that from the outside the bricks looked ready to crumble to ground. But that's beside the point. I quickly glanced at the piece of paper on which I scrawled Lee Nishimura's address and headed up the stairs to the sixth floor. Music pounded from one of the apartments, causing the moans and complaints of others around it. One woman ventured from her home and banged her fist hard against the door containing the noise, shouting at whoever lived there to "Shut the hell up before I have you evicted!"

I tried my best to ignore the scene and kept walking, soon coming to the end of the hall and coming face to face with Lee Nishimura's door.

I hesitated.

Whenever I come to speak to somebody about a ghost, I wonder what really goes through their heads. I mean, here they are going about their normal life and all of a sudden this woman appears telling them that their parent/brother/friend/partner has come back from the grave and needs their help. It's got to sound pretty crazy. If I'd heard someone say that to me, I honestly have to say I'd have trouble believing them.

Pushing all those thoughts out of my head I knocked on the door and a few minutes later a disgruntled man who appeared to be in his thirties opened it. He paused for a moment, looking me over.

"Lee Nishimura?"

"Do I know ya from a bar or something?"

"Um, no. We've never met before."

"Ya sure? Coulda been drunk."

Fantastic. He thought I was one of those girls he'd had a one-night stand with showing up to tell him I was pregnant, or maybe he thought I was just coming back for more. Just great.

"Look, Mr. Nishimura-"

"Lee," he corrected. I shook my head and continued.

"Mr. Nishimura, I came here to…Can I come in? A hallway isn't the greatest place for a conversation like this."

He considered it, then stepped aside to let me in. I regretted requesting entrance the moment I got inside. It was filthy. The sink was stacked high with dirty plates, beer bottles littered the counters, and I think I saw a cockroach scuttle under the couch.

"Ya can sit down," he offered, but I shook my head.

"I'm fine." He shrugged.

"So what is it that ya want?" he asked, plopping down on the couch and taking up a beer bottle that had been on the coffee table.

"I came here to talk about Takuo Shibuimaru." Nishimura wasn't phased in the least. That was weird, at this point I usually have people either a) staring at me like I'm completely insane, b) asking how I know the deceased or c) telling me to get the hell out.

But Lee Nishimura's only response was, "What about 'im?"

"I understand he died in a motorcycle accident."

"Yup."

I was starting to think I should have just gone to Tomohiro Tockar, because I didn't think Lee Nishimura would jump at the chance to help Shibutaku cross over.

"This might come as a surprise to you, but…Well, Takuo isn't exactly at peace."

No reaction.

"I've, um, seen his spirit. He doesn't know why, but he can't go into the light."

Nothing.

"He can't tell me anything about his life because he can't remember it. He looks kind of beat up. I'm guessing it's from the accident."

Zilch.

"I did some research on the accident, and was wondering if maybe it wasn't all an _accident_. Do you know if anyone would have wanted to hurt Takuo?"

"Plenty of people," he said casually and then he took a sip of beer.

Did you ever feel the overwhelming desire to strangle somebody?

"Anyone in the trucking business?"

"Could be."

Seriously, I had to refrain from leaping at Lee Nishimura and turning him into a ghost. What was with this guy? Did he even _have _a heart? His quote in that article was so sincere and thoughtful. Is this really what happened after he had time to cope with the loss of his friend? Or had he just said something sweet to look good for the media?

"Alright…" I pulled a pack of gum out of my coat pocket and took a piece. I have a weird habit of bringing out gum whenever something gets too annoying, frustrating, or awkward. I offered him some out of kindness (and oh how it tortured me to be kind to this man) but he declined. He probably thought the odd woman who burst into his home talking about the ghost of Shibutaku was trying to poison him or something. Come to think of it, that wasn't a completely terrible idea. "You know what, I should go."

"Ya sure? Ya don't wanna stay for a drink?"

I looked at the bottle in his hand, the broken bottles around the apartment, the cockroach that emerged from its hiding place beneath the couch and was now scurrying across the room.

"I think I'll pass."

"Maybe I'll see ya at the bar?"

I turned around, opened the door and was about to close it behind myself when I replied, "Doubt it."

And I made sure to slam the door shut behind me.

As I walked down the sidewalk on my way to the bus stop a man on a motorcycle zipped past me. For a moment, because the streets were so quiet and eerily vacant, I thought it was another haunting from Shibutaku, but as I looked ahead of me I realized the man on this bike was too small and slight in his figure to be Takuo.

And then it dawned on me that most bikers in this area were connected to one another. Maybe this guy knew Shibutaku and could answer the questions I originally planned to ask Lee Nishimura.

"Hey!" I shouted, beginning to run because now the biker was quite a ways ahead of me. "Hey!"

He turned his head and saw me running, then slowed his motorcycle to a stop.

"Something I can do for you?" he asked, the tone of his voice slightly annoyed. I paused to catch my breath, and when I looked up he had removed his helmet. The gentle wind blew his long blonde hair about and he had a striking scar over one of his bright blue eyes. I tried not to stare at it, knowing he probably didn't need that, and focused on why I'd stopped him.

"Do you happen to know a man named Takuo Shibuimaru?"

He thought for a total of five seconds and said, "No."

"What about Shibutaku?"

"No." He slipped his helmet back on and turned, ready to leave. "Anything else?" he asked, his back turned to me. I sighed in defeat.

"No. Sorry for making you stop." He didn't respond to that. Instead he just drove away, as if nothing had happened.

**A/N--**

Lee Nishimura was not originally planned to be such a jerk, but I think it worked out better this way. Kudos to you if you know where I got Lee Nishimura's and Tomohiro Tockar's names from. Read and review please!

Shadeslayer


	4. January 6th & 7th, 2009

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of it's characters, but the plot and any OCs are mine.

**January 6****th****, 2009**

Lind L. Tailor returned yesterday when I got home. He asked me if I'd gotten any further on researching the Kira case. I told him what I knew, and he offered to help me research. I agreed, knowing that he probably wouldn't be much of a help since he's kind of well…dead. But hey, I'll take all the help I can get.

What I didn't know? Lind L. Tailor was determined to do whatever it took to help me find Kira.

At 4:45 in the morning, an hour that I had only heard about but did not actually believe existed until this incident, I heard a gentle tapping from somewhere in the room. I lay in bed, awake but keeping my eyes closed, and soon realized that that incessant tapping was the keyboard.

"What the hell?" I groaned, propping myself up on an elbow. And there he was, sitting at my desk, typing away the computer. "Lind?"

He jumped, startled, and turned around to face me.

"Oh, Em. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Sort of," I responded, sitting up completely and rubbing some of the sleep from my eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Researching Kira, like a told you." He turned back around and resumed scrolling along a webpage. I inched towards the foot of the bed where I would be able to make out some the text on the computer.

"Did you find anything?"

"Not much," he admitted. "Every article is about updates given by L, and he doesn't give all the details."

"Well what _does_ he give?"

"Uhm…Kira can kill with a name and a face, he mainly targets extremely dangerous criminals, and he has been known to attack people who he believes to be a threat to him or people who are in his way. He shows no mercy to his victims as he kills each one by somehow educing a heart attack."

"So in short he's a psychopath?"

"Pretty much."

"Well that doesn't help much, does it?"

"I guess not. I'm sorry I couldn't find more." I was about to tell him he was forgiven when I noticed something on the page he had been reading. It was intriguing enough to draw me out of my bed. I padded over to the computer and bent over it to see the screen more clearly. I think Lind was trying to look down my shirt as I was bent over him slightly, but I tried my best to ignore it. I simply shot him a look quickly and he blushed and turned his head. "Uh…What are you looking at?"

"It says here that L is working with the Task Force."

"So what exactly does that mean?"

"Well, if Kira resides in Kanto, and there's a police team after him, where do you think that police team would be?"

Lind understood almost immediately.

"You want to go to Kanto and find the Task Force that's after Kira?"

"Why not? I mean, they're having trouble with this case, even if they don't let the public know it. If I can talk to Kira's victims, such as you, maybe I can help them."

"But wouldn't that be a little dangerous. I mean, those guys are putting their lives on the line to find this Kira." I shrugged.

"What's life without a little danger?"

"Famous last words," Lind mumbled as I leaned over him to reach the keyboard. I kept an arm carefully covering my chest to prevent him from sneaking another peek and swiftly typed in 'Kira Task Force' (I couldn't think of anyway else to word it. It was 5:00AM by then, you try thinking logically at such an hour).

"Thanks for the support," I muttered back to him as I sifted through the results of my search.

"Just be careful," he told me when I found a link to investigate. I ignored him and read aloud the contents of the webpage.

"There is an elite group of Japanese police officers working under the direction and supervision of L, the century's greatest detective, to solve the mystery that is the Kira case."

When I paused for a breath, Lind L. Tailor said something that surprised me.

"If L really is the century's greatest detective," he said, "why are so many people dead?"

We both fell silent. How was I supposed to react to that? I guessed, given the circumstances of his death, Lind had a good reason to hold a grudge against L. But to say that? To accuse L of being the reason so many more people, criminals and otherwise, fell victim to Kira? That seemed to be a little much.

I shook my head if only to get all those thoughts out of it and continued reading.

"It is believed that these officers have been told not to give away to anyone that they are taking part in the investigation of the Kira Case. This is most likely for their own safety, considering Kira's method of killing. There is no way of knowing exactly where the Task Force is working from, but it is assumed they are working close to where the majority of his victims have been found." I re-read the few sentences silently, and then exclaimed, "They're defiantly in Kanto!"

When I got no response, I turned around and looked about the room, realizing that I was talking to myself.

"Lind? Lind?" He didn't answer. "Lind L. Tailor?"

_He's right…_

Not this again. Breathing became more difficult in a matter of seconds as that searing pain came to my heart.

_What great detective can't solve a case?_

This spirit…They heard what Lind said…That means they were there the entire time Lind and I discussed the case and my plans to find the Task Force in Kanto.

_The case wasn't solved, so more people died…More innocent people…_

I couldn't hold up my own weight anymore and so I collapsed to my knees. The pain of hitting the hardwood floor couldn't compare to the ache I felt in my chest.

_Help me…Find him…Make sure no one else has to suffer…No one else has to die…_

For a moment I actually thought the mystery spirit was Lind jerking me around. And then I didn't think anything, because the severe pain caused me to pass out.

I woke up soon, and found that Lind still hadn't returned, nor had any other spirit. I stood up and noticed that the computer was still on, the window with the article I'd been reading to Lind still open. I settled down in the small wooden chair that Lind had been using and opened a new window, typing 'Kanto law enforcement' into a search bar. I was soon able to find the address of Kanto's police department. I wrote it down quickly then proceeded to get dressed. I saved all of the websites Lind and I had found before shutting down the computer, and then I was off to Kanto.

There wasn't much activity going on around the police department. When I arrived I found a few officers outside on the benches making phone calls to their families and enjoying the fresh air. For January, the weather was actually quite pleasant. There was a little layer of snow coating the ground that was being slowly melted by the heat of the sun.

I took out my pack of gum as I entered the building, and quickly jammed a piece into my mouth before stuffing it back in my pocket. I walked up to the desk and tapped on the surface to grab the attention of the woman who was working on a computer.

"May I help you?" she asked with a polite smile. I smiled back at her and bit down on my gum, thinking of what would be the best way to word my question.

"Yes, I believe it has been announced to the public that the killer known so well as Kira is thought to reside in Kanto?"

"Yes, that's right," she replied.

"So that would mean that the Task Force investigating the Kira would also be in Kanto, correct?" The woman bit her lip nervously.

"I'm sorry, that's information I can't give away." Statements like that always give away the answer whether you want them to or not. If there was no Task Force here, this woman would have no problem telling me that. But the fact that she hesitated and said she couldn't tell me yes or no told me that the answer was most defiantly yes.

"Sorry to you bother you, then," I said, and I walked back out. I couldn't push her into telling me what I already knew, so now it was up to me to find and contact the Task Force. I slipped into my car, put the keys in the ignition and began to drive away.

As I drove I was immersed in thoughts of how I would get the Task Force to 1) talk to me, 2) believe that I see ghosts, and 3) allow me to join them. That's probably why I didn't notice it when a biker cut in front of my car on the road. It's probably why I didn't see myself drawing dangerously close to aforementioned biker and why I only became aware of said biker when my car came in contact with his motorcycle.

Note to self: when driving, one should make an honest effort to pay attention to the road.

After the collision I immediately pulled over to the side of the road and rushed out of the car. I ran around to the front so that I could see the damage done to both my car, to the motorcycle, and most importantly the biker. Imagine my surprise when I found absolutely nothing there.

I hate it when hauntings feel that incredibly real.

It took me a few moments to catch my breath and calm down from the initial shock of the "accident".

"Are you ok?" I looked up to see a man, maybe my age (27 if you were wondering) or a bit older, walking towards me.

"Yeah, fine," I said, looking him over, feeling like I recognized him. He had kind of longer black hair and innocent, chocolate brown eyes. He offered a small smile.

"I saw you leaving the police department, you seemed a little out of it," he told me, blushing as if he thought he might have offended me.

"Oh, uhm, yeah…Yeah I guess I was." Ah yes, I remembered, he was one of the men on a cell phone outside the police department building. "I just…I just thought I hit something. Like a cat, or squirrel or…you know, something, uh, furry." Or a biker that isn't actually alive to go joy riding anymore.

"Yeah, you have to watch out for those sometimes. They can sneak up on you."

"Yeah, they can." There was a moment of awkward silence during which we just stared at each other.

"Oh, I'm Touta Matsuda, by the way." He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Em," I introduced. After a moment I said, "I think I should be heading home. I think I'm ok to drive now."

"Are you sure?" I nodded. "Ok."

He started to walk away as I went back to the driver's side of the car. I hesitated a moment with my hand on the door, and then called back to the young police officer.

"Matsuda?" He turned around quickly, startled.

"Hmm?"

"You work with the police, right?"

"Yeah," he said with a proud grin.

"Do you…Do you happen to know anything about a Task Force working to find Kira?"

"A…Task Force?" I nodded. "Oh, well…Uhm…Yeah, I guess it would make sense for the Task Force to be working to find Kira…I mean, he's pretty dangerous. But uh…You know what? I actually have to get back to work…It, uh, it was nice meeting you…Uhm…"

"Em."

"Right. Nice meeting you Em." And then Touta Matsuda took off at a dead run to get back to the police station.

I got back in the car quickly and continued on my way home. I didn't have time to think about the Matsuda, or the Task Force, or even the entire Kira Case. I'd just had a run-in with Shibutaku (I just knew it was him) and I had to track him down and get to the bottom of this.

**January 7****th****, 2009**

Shibutaku came to me again in a dream. He put me in his place, riding his bike at top speed in the streets of Kanto. The thing is, I wasn't completely in his place. I could feel everything he was feeling and hear everything going on around him, but he kept control over his movements and voice. We were two minds trapped inside the same body.

Shibutaku, Lee Nishimura and Tomohiro Tockar were chasing after a young woman.

"Shibuimaru Takuo, they call me Shibutaku," Takuo introduced, pulling down his sunglasses so that he could better see the woman. He laughed a little, a short chuckle that made my skin crawl. "Go out with me, lady."

"I-I'm sorry," the woman said before quickly turning and walking briskly away.

"Oh! Rejected!" Lee Nishimura shouted.

"She's getting away," said Tomohiro Tockar. Shibutaku smirked.

"Hey, I'm on a bike," he said, and he sped off after the woman who was now running as fast as she could to get away from him. Can't say I blame her.

I felt the wind whipping around me as Shibutaku got closer and closer to the woman. And then…

"Takuo! Watch out!" Lee and Tomohiro both screamed. But their warning came too late. Shibutaku had already collided full force with an oncoming truck. I couldn't see anything save for some glass shards from the truck's window, which were often blocked out by splashing of crimson. Splashes of blood.

"Takuo!" I heard Tomohiro yell, and then I felt the road rumbling beneath me as someone took of on a motorcycle.

"I'm outta here!" It was Lee's voice. Surprise, eh?

Then I was out of Shibutaku's body, floating in the sky looking down at his mangled body, the pool of blood he lay in, the crowd of people around him.

"This…This was my end." I looked to my side to see Shibutaku's spirit levitating beside me. I didn't really have anything to say to him after all I'd just seen and so we just stared at each other until he let his gaze drop back down to the accident scene where someone was calling out time of death.

And then I noticed something that could only be described as suspicious. A teenage boy, maybe 16 or 17 years old by the look of him, was racing away from the accident as quickly as he could. I couldn't get a good look at his face, but from what I saw he looked thoroughly panicked and, quite possibly, guilty. But maybe I was just jumping to conclusions. Maybe I was just desperate to confirm that Shibutaku was in fact killed by Kira.

I woke up from that dream to find Shibutaku standing in the corner of the room.

"That kid," I said, knowing he'd know what I was talking about. "Had you ever seen him before?"

"I saw him go into the store," Shibutaku answered. "But I didn't see him after that. I wasn't paying attention to him really, I was too focused on the girl."

So he wasn't tied to the boy in any way. Maybe the kid was just freaked out about the accident and wanted to get away. I could've made up the guilty look in his eyes; it was probably just all shock and fear.

"Are you sorry? About chasing after the girl? I mean, she seemed pretty scared."

"I shouldn't have done that," he admitted. "She could've gotten hurt…If I'd just left her alone, maybe I wouldn't have died."

We sat in silence for what felt like forever but turned out to be only ten minutes.

"Yes," Shibutaku whispered finally. "Yes, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

He didn't want me to know, but there were a few silent tears escaping his eyes. This was all he needed to go into the light. He needed to apologize for his wrongs, erase his guilt, and feel forgiven.

"Takuo," I said. "Do you see a light?"

He looked ahead of himself and his eyes widened in awe.

"Y-Yeah…" He turned to me. "Do you think they'll take me this time?"

"Only one way to find out." He nodded and turned back to the light that only he could see (I can never see the light, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I can wait until it's my time.). He took a deep breath and stepped forward, whispered a quiet goodbye before he was gone for good.

**A/N--**

Ok, first cross over! Yay! Not much to say after this...What do we all think so far? Ok, read and review please, I'll try to answer all reviews. Next chapter will probably come a little slower as I'm working out a few kinks in the writing and in the basic story.

Until next time,  
Shadeslayer


	5. January 16th, 2009

Gah! I'm so sorry it took so long to update! I've been having writer's block for the fifth chapter so that's in slow progress, plus I've started a new Death Note project (My Final Moments) and I have a few other oneshots that are taking up time. I'm sorry! You all get cookies for waiting so patiently!

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. I own this story and any OCs that appear.

**January 16****th****, 2009**

Since Shibutaku crossed over I've had very little ghost encounters. Lind L. Tailor shows up every now and again, helping me research the Kira Case. He's also helped me with contacting the Task Force. I started out by sending an e-mail to the Kanto Police Department requesting to be told more information regarding the Kira Case. They replied back quickly telling me to keep myself updated with newspapers and television broadcasts.

I continued sending e-mail after e-mail though, and even sent a letter through snail-mail. I made the same request each and every time, but wording it a little differently. I figured that eventually they'd either file a restraining order or give in.

It was Lind who told me to do what ended up getting me a meeting with the Task Force. He told me to call the police department and tell them I had vital information on the Kira Case. The first time I called they hung up on me, thinking it was some kind cruel practical joke. The second time I managed to hold their attention long enough to ask about working with the Task Force, but they simply told me that there was no Task Force in Kanto and they couldn't help me, and they hung up before I had the chance to protest.

The third time I called I was finally able to wear them down. I explained that I had managed to gather information about the Kira Case. I then told them that I did some further research to find that Kira is believed to be located in Kanto. I let them know that this was the reason I believed that any police team working against Kira would be stationed there. And then I asked for a meeting with the Japanese Task Force.

"I'll see what I can do," the woman on the other line said. We hung up, and that evening I received a call from the Kanto Police Department. They were giving me all the details about my meeting that I would be having on January 16th. They told me to come to the building at exactly 8:10 in the morning and to use the main entrance. They said that I should ask for Soichiro Yagami and promised that I would be in his office to speak with him by 8:15. They said that I would have to be quick and wished for the meeting to be over by 9:00. That didn't give me much time to make a convincing argument to Mr. Yagami, but since I'd waited so long to get the meeting I figured I had no choice but to agree to the strict time frame.

As soon as I hung up I began to plan out what I would say to Soichiro Yagami. I wrote down possible ways to tell him of my "gift" to speak to the dead, but each new draft sounded worse than the previous. As I was beginning to consider blowing off the meeting all together, Lind L. Tailor showed up again.

"You've been waiting too long to just give up that meeting," he said.

"I know," I sighed, tossing a paper full of scribbles and cross outs into the waste basket. "But if I can't tell him then what's the point?"

"The point is putting a ruthless murderer in prison!" Lind yelled. He sounded truly angry and it frightened me a little. I'd never seen him like that. Was it this kind of rage that sent him behind bars? "Kira killed me and countless others, Em! I understand that we were criminals, but did we really deserve death?!"

"Well…Some _were_ on death row."

"Like me?" He turned his back. "Em, when he killed me he thought I was L. L was an innocent person, but Kira tried to kill him because he wanted to tell the world that Kira is evil. Who knows how many other people died because they insulted Kira, or just because they were in his way."

Silence settled over us. I'd forgotten that Lind L. Tailor had been an inmate on death row. And I'd never thought of the Kira Case the way he did. Then again, he had a lot more time to mull it over in the years before he came to me.

"Lind?"

"Hmm?" He kept his back to me.

"C-can I practice what I'm going to say to Mr. Yagami with you?"

Finally he turned around again and looked me in the eyes.

"Sure."

Lind and I spent a good two hours working out what I would say to Soichiro Yagami during our short meeting, which was why I felt ready as I walked through the doors of the Kanto Police Department at 8:10 this morning.

"I'm here to see Soichiro Yagami," I said. The woman at the desk, the same woman who had been there the last time I came, must have been informed of this meeting, because before she got up to lead the way to Mr. Yagami's office she checked the time. She then took me up three flights stairs and down a long hall to the office. She reminded me of the meeting's pre-set time frame and then returned to work.

Before I had a chance to knock the door opened and a man with graying hair and square-framed glasses appeared before me.

"Em, I'm assuming?" I nodded and he stepped aside to let me in. He shut and locked the door and then took his seat behind his desk. The office was like any other professional's office you'd see. Mr. Yagami's degrees and certificates decorated the walls, and amongst all the office supplies were a few pictures of his family.

"Now," Mr. Yagami began, pulling me from my thoughts. "I've been told you have information on the Kira case."

"Well, yes, Mr. Yagami, I do, but…"

"But? Are you saying you don't have anything to tell me?"

"No, no, it's not that. It's just that what I have to tell you…Well, you may not believe me at first. I just need you to hear me out until the end, ok?"

He leaned back in his chair, a signal for me to start explaining.

"You see, Mr. Yagami, my whole life I've been different from everybody else. Ever since I was a little girl I was able to…to see and speak to the dead."

I could see him restraining himself from stopping me to ask if I knew I was insane, or maybe he was just fighting the urge to kick me out of his office.

"My mom told me that they were earthbound spirits, and that they couldn't cross over into the light, or in more common terms heaven, because they had unfinished business to attend to with the living, or sometimes it's because they just can't accept their deaths. Anyway, I've had some hauntings recently from various ghosts who I believe to be victims of the killer Kira. The names of these spirits are Lind L. Tailor, Takuo Shibuimaru, and there's another but he doesn't give his name or even let me see his face. He is very powerful though, and whenever he comes I feel like I'm having a heart attack."

I was surprised that Mr. Yagami was so far doing as I asked and letting me say all I had to say before commenting.

"This spirit…He told me that the Kira Case should have been solved by now. He said that if Kira had already been captured then many lives would have been spared, and he seems to think the reason Kira has yet to be captured is his fault."

I paused again for a breath, and when Mr. Yagami said nothing I continued.

"These spirits are all very troubled, Mr. Yagami. Although I have gotten Takuo Shibuimaru into the light, the other two aren't able to go yet. They're linked to their killer and they can't rest in peace until he is arrested. That's why I would like to work alongside the Japanese Task Force in order to find Kira. It's necessary for me to see to it that Kira is captured so that these spirits can finally be at ease."

I was finally finished, and I sat back and waited for Soichiro Yagami's response. He took a few moments to absorb everything I had told him, and he was very calm as he at last had his chance to speak.

"Well, Em…The hospital is on the opposite end of town, not terribly far away, and the psych ward is located on the second floor."

That was new. I'd never been directed to a psych ward before. First time for everything, huh?

"Mr. Yagami, I assure you I am not lying. Everything I just told you is one hundred percent truth. Please believe me."

"Young lady, do you honestly expect me to believe all that you just said?"

I was quiet for a moment, going over the rehearsal Lind and I had last night in my head.

"No," I replied. "If I heard someone tell me all of that, I would have trouble believing it, too. But Mr. Yagami, that doesn't mean it isn't true. Let me work you with you and you'll be able to see that I'm not lying."

I'd never wanted anybody to believe me about seeing ghosts so badly. I just prayed Soichiro Yagami and the Task Force would give me a chance.

"Em, I can't let you into the Task Force based on what you've just told you me."

I figured that. I glanced at the clock. It was 8:50. I only had ten minutes to make a reasonable closing argument. It seemed that I would need a miracle to get Mr. Yagami to believe me, and that miracle came in the form of a certain death row inmate. I'd never been so happy to see a ghost show up, and I'd never loved Lind L. Tailor's ability to pop up at the most random moments more.

"Just listen to her!" Lind exclaimed, his eyes on Mr. Yagami. "She can help you!"

This was my chance to prove to Soichiro Yagami that I could see ghosts. If I could prove to him that Lind was really in that office with us he would let me into the Task Force. Either that or he'd think I was making it all up and would personally take me to the psychiatric ward of the hospital across town.

"Why can't he hear me?" Lind asked, turning to me. I shook my head.

"Mr. Yagami, one of the spirits I told you about, one of the Kira victims, Lind L. Tailor, is here."

"What are you saying?" he asked. Lind continued to ask me why Mr. Yagami was ignoring him.

"Lind L. Tailor is here with us. He seems desperate to see Kira brought to justice. Please, Mr. Yagami, if you allow me to be on the Task Force I'll be able to tell you what the victims know about their killer, and I'll be able to help them find peace."

"Is this some kind of joke, Em?" Mr. Yagami asked.

"It's not a joke! Listen to her! She can help us both! Listen to her!"

I felt bad for Lind. All he wanted was to be able to cross over into the light, and I wasn't able to do anything for him. I needed the help of the Task Force, I needed to know that there was someone backing me up so that all these wounded spirits could heal.

"Em, why isn't he listening?"

"Lind," I said, finally acknowledging the ghost. "He can't see you or hear you. He doesn't know you're here."

"Then let me prove it to him!" Lind shouted. He rushed towards Mr. Yagami's desk and knocked over the picture frames, then reached over them to take the papers the police officer had in front of him. He threw the papers across the room and then tore all of Soichiro Yagami's certificates off the walls.

"Lind!" I yelled as he tossed the empty chair beside me. It collided with the wall with a resounding thud, and then crashed to the floor. "Lind, stop it! Lind!"

The sudden mood swings Lind had been having recently really scared me, especially when he got this violent. But they always made me remember that behavior like this was expected to come from criminals. And that's what Lind was during his life: a criminal. For him, this was as normal as seeing ghosts was for me.

Lind punched the door with great force, leaving a slight indentation in the wood. He then sighed heavily and sank down to the floor.

"Believe her now?" he asked quietly. I turned to Mr. Yagami.

"Still think I'm lying?" The man seemed stunned. He wasn't looking at me; he was looking at the spot where Lind's fist met his door. He was looking at the papers scattered across the floor. He was looking at the overturned chair across the room.

"I think," he finally said, "you should leave."

I glanced at the clock. 9:00. And even if it wasn't time for our meeting to end, I think Mr. Yagami would have wanted me gone anyway. I stood up and walked to the door, where Lind was. He got up and we left the police department together, neither of us saying a word. It wasn't until we were in the car and driving away that Lind said anything.

"Em," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I'm sorry."

I stayed silent. I didn't really know what to say to him after all that had happened in that office.

"I…I just wanted him to believe you, so that we could find Kira sooner."

"I know, Lind."

"I didn't mean to overreact like that. I should've stayed calm, but…I just couldn't."

"I know, Lind."

"I've always been like that but I've never been able to control it. I hate that. Em, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to do what I did back there, it all just happened. I'm really sorry."

I pulled the car over and turned to face Lind L. Tailor. I locked onto his sorrow-filled eyes and took a breath.

"Lind…Those outbursts, that rage…Is that why you were put on death row?"

He turned away from me, looked out the window and swallowed hard.

"That…That's something I'd rather not talk about." And then he was gone.

**A/N--**

Lind is bipolar...No, really. I feel bad for him.

I will try my best to get the 5th chapter done and up quickly. Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait. Reviews please? They make me happy.

Shadeslayer


	6. January 20th, 2009

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Any OCs are mine, story is mine.

**January 20****th****, 2009**

Lind L. Tailor has not shown up in the past three days. I haven't felt his presence, I haven't heard his voice, I haven't seen him. Honestly, I'm kind of glad. I still feel a little shaken by what happened in Soichiro Yagami's office on the 16th. But at the same time, I want him to appear to me so that I can thank him. On the morning of January 17th I received a call from Mr. Yagami.

"Em, I've done some thinking," he said, and I held my breath. "After what happened yesterday I feel that I have no choice but to believe what you've told me. I would like you to phone conference in during a meeting of the Task Force. Now you will not be an official part of the Task Force, that can't happen until you gain the trust of every person currently on the team. You will not be given the name of any of the Task Force members for safety and security purposes. The meeting you will take part in will be on the twentieth of January. You will call us at exactly 6:35 in the evening and you will take part in the meeting for one hour. The number you will call is 555-4547. In any further encounters this will be line one. If you are asked to participate in another you will be given the number for line two and any other subsequent lines you may need. Do you have any questions?"

I assured him that I didn't and we hung up. Today I got the phone in my hands at 6:30. I sat on my couch staring at the clock, watching the minutes slowly bleed into each other until it was time for me to call. When I finally dialed the number I only heard one ring. Someone quickly picked up on the other line and asked who I was. I recognized the voice as Soichiro Yagami's.

"This is Em," I said. I heard a click, which I assumed meant I was being put on speaker phone.

"Right on time. Let's begin." The voice that spoke sounded younger, but full of authority.

"Em, I've already informed the team of what was said at our meeting." That was obviously Mr. Yagami. "Now, is there anything you can tell us about these Kira victims?"

"Well, there are two that are definite victims. The first is Lind L. Tailor. I'm sure you will all remember him. L had him give the announcement about Kira to Kanto. He's been helping me gather information on the case, but all of that information you'll already have. I haven't seen him since my meeting with you." I paused, remembering Lind's rage in Mr.Yagami's office. As frightening as it was, I owed him for that. That outburst was what got Soichiro Yagami to agree to letting me take part in this meeting.

"What about the other one?" another voice prodded eagerly. I recognized this voice. It was the man I'd met on my first visit to the police department, Touta Matsuda.

"He's a little more mysterious. And he's very powerful. He seems to draw on the energy of the heart."

"Energy of the heart?" This voice was new.

"Yeah. Let me explain. Ghosts need energy to make themselves known. They usually feed off the energy of the living."

"So this one takes energy from your heart?"

"Yes. I can only hear him speak when there's a kind of pressure on my heart. I think it's also his way of telling me how he died. I looked up heartaches and the pain I feel when this spirit is around is exactly like the pain described by heart attack victims."

"Well then this spirit may have just died of a heart attack. There's no need to assume he's a Kira victim." This came from the young, authoritative voice.

"Well, I would have thought that if the ghost didn't constantly refer to Kira," I told him. I reached in front of me to take my notebook from the coffee table. The pages of the book contained the line one number for the Task Force, a list of websites Lind had found about Kira, and some notes on the spirit that refused to show his face. "When he first haunted me he said 'I didn't deserve to die'. He then proceeded to tell me that he could have stopped 'him', he should have been careful, and then he asked me to find 'him'. After speaking with Lind L. Tailor it became apparent to me that the 'him' the ghost was referring to was Kira."

I took a moment for the Task Force to absorb what I'd told them.

"So," the young voice began, "this spirit doesn't believe to think he deserved to die?"

"No," I replied. "Neither does Lind L. Tailor."

"Lind L. Tailor was a death row inmate scheduled to die on the date of the broadcast," the young voice countered. I took a breath and thought back to my conversations with Lind.

"Lind L. Tailor was a man pretending to be L who was killed because Kira didn't like what he said."

There were a few minutes filled with silence. Within these minutes something outside caught my eye. With the phone still held to my ear I got off the couch and went to the window, pushing aside the curtain with my free hand so I had an un-obscured look the street. A woman was walking outside, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her black coat. Now this is a typical sight for everyone, people go for walks all the time. But what struck me was the way that, even though the wind was blowing fiercely in preparation for a storm, the woman's hair remained in place. The wind wasn't blowing it, or her scarf which was tightly wrapped around her neck.

As she continued walking she moved out of my range of vision. I let the curtain fall and started across the living room and into the kitchen. I leaned over the counter and pulled the window's curtain aside. As I saw her approaching I caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were black and completely blank. There was no indication that she was thinking of anything, no looking around at her surroundings. She was solely focused on whatever it was that was in front of her.

Then a car drove by, and passed right through her.

"Em, is there anything else this ghost has told you? Anything that could help us find Kira?" It was Soichiro Yagami again, drawing me away from my thoughts.

"No. He just keeps telling me to find thing. He said he didn't want anybody else to die by Kira's hand."

"What about Lind L. Tailor?" It was the voice from before who I had no name to associate with.

"He only knows as much as I do."

"Em, I remember you mentioning a third spirit," Mr. Yagami said.

"Yes, yes. His name was Takuo Shibuimaru. He was a biker. I'm not one hundred percent sure he was a victim, but that strange ghost mentioned to me that he was. And something that I've noticed about Kira victims is that their presence feels…dark. I hadn't experienced that feeling before meeting Lind, and I felt with that other ghost. I also felt it with Takuo."

"So how sure are you that Shibuimaru was a victim?"

I thought it over for a moment. 99 percent sounded too confident. 90 sounded almost too low, and because of that I wanted to keep in the range of the 90s.

"95 percent," I replied.

"And how did this Shibuimaru die?" the younger voice asked.

"Motorcycle accident. He was hit by a truck while trying to chase a woman. He had a harassed her before, and she ran from him. He showed me all of this in a dream, and I believe Kira might have been at the scene of the crime."

"No, he wouldn't have been there. Kira kills from a distance," the young voice said rather quickly.

"Yes, but if Shibuimaru is a Kira victim as I suspect, then how else would Kira have known about his crime if he hadn't been there to witness it? Shibuimaru was not a big-shot criminal, he didn't kill anyone, he didn't take anyone hostage. He was just a creep lurking around the streets."

"She has a point," I heard Matsuda say, and I heard mumbles of agreement from other Task Force members.

"Em, I'm sorry, it appears your time is up," Mr. Yagami said. I glanced at the clock; it was exactly 7:35.

"I understand," I replied just before the line disconnected.

**A/N--**

Well then, what do we think? Ok, next chapter will probably take a while to write as I have not started it yet and I'm switching back and forth between computers so yeah...I'll try to get the sixth chapter up as soon as I can. Reviews please? They make me squee with joy. :3

Shadeslayer


	7. January 22nd, 2009

I am sooo sorry for such a long wait. School and cross country started while I was working on this chapter, and the story was put on the back burner. I'm in a lot of honors classes this year, and my new cross country coach has been working us hard. Thank you so much for your patience, and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or anything affiliated with it. I do, however, own any OCs.

**January 22****nd****, 2009**

Still no sign of Lind L. Tailor. I'm starting to get worried. If he doesn't come back I may not be able to cross him over. If that happens, he'd be stuck in the physical world forever. Just the thought of that makes me shudder. There are too many ways spirits can go wrong here. But I can't think about that now. I have a new ghost to focus on.

The woman I had seen while I was one the phone with the Task Force walked past my house yesterday at the same exact time as the day before. This time I got on my coat and boots and went outside to follow her. I trailed behind her down my block, and when we reached the end she disappeared. Disappointed and slightly discouraged that I lost her I went back inside.

Then last night, I had a dream. I was walking into a train station, a folder held under my arm. I could hear someone speaking in my ear, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I could feel someone's eyes on me, but there were so many people around I couldn't figure out whose.

I turned onto one of the waiting trains, sat by myself, and pulled out a laptop. With a few clicks I opened a file with multiple names on it. I pulled a piece of paper from the folder I had taken on with me. There were some boxes on it. After hearing some more mumbling from the transmitter I had in my ear, a pulled a pen from my pocket and began to scrawl the names from the computer file into the boxes. Arire Weekwood, Freddi Gumntair, Bess Sekllet, Fridge Copen…Who were these people? Why were their names important? What was this spirit trying to tell me?

When I finished writing the names I put the paper back into the folder and placed the folder on the rack above my head. Then I slipped the laptop back into my briefcase and stood. I heard some more mumbling from the transmitter, and then strode off the train. As soon as I stepped onto the platform I my heart started racing, and then slowed. I could feel it straining to work as I fell to the ground. I twisted my body around to see the train. As the doors were closing, I could see a young man. He looked down at me with a smirk and pulled down his sweatshirt hood so I could see him more clearly. I knew exactly who it was…Kira.

I woke with a start. I reached over to my nightstand, flicked on the light and was about to go into the drawer for my journal when I realized I wasn't the only one in the room.

"Lind?" I asked, hopeful, as I turned to face the spirit. It wasn't Lind. It was the woman who I'd seen walking down the block while I spoke to the Task Force, the one I tried to follow the day before. "Is…Is that how you died?" I questioned, thinking over the dream. The woman shook her head. "Then you know someone who died that way?" She nodded. "Who?" She vanished.

I didn't need to ask to know just where she was going. I got dressed quickly and got in my car, driving straight towards the train station. It was late, about four in the morning, and there would be no trains running at this time, so I drove all the way out to the Kanto station. It was empty when I got there, and everything was locked. I got into the station by convincing the security guard I'd left my purse there. I made sure the guard was out of earshot when I began calling for the woman.

"Hello? I know you're here. If you can hear me, give me a sign."

I then started to hear people around me. I looked around to see a crowd of people who weren't actually there. They shoved past me, chatting on their cell phones, flipping through newspapers, glancing between the schedule and their watches to see how much time they had before their train arrived. It was another vision.

I looked around at the throngs of people until I found a man who reminded me of the dream I'd had. He was fairly tall, had black hair and was walking with a briefcase in one hand and a folder under the other arm. I felt a sudden presence beside me and turned to see the woman. Her eyes were trained on the man.

"That's the one who died," I said, more of statement than a question, and she nodded before disappearing again. I turned back to the crowd, found the man again, and followed him. He led me onto a waiting train, and as I walked through it new people appeared. I began to recognize them from the dream. Everything was acted out exactly how I'd seen it. He took out his laptop, and then took the papers from the folder. He wrote something on them, the names I'd seen. Curious, I moved towards him. I sat down next to him and leaned over his shoulder. On the computer screen was a file with small pictures of men and women, their names underneath them. I looked at the names until I found the ones I recognized. I glanced to the top of the page to see the letters FBI on the top. They were agents.

I'm sure it was L's plan to keep the FBI's involvement in the Kira Case from the general public, but if agents died it might have been a good idea for someone to tell me about. It would have been helpful to know what kinds of spirits I should expect to see. On the other hand, maybe my knowledge of this could help the Task Force believe me.

Once the man has written down the last few names, he tucked the papers back into the folder and placed it on the rack above his head. He then waited a few minutes before standing up and walking off the train. I got up with him, followed him through the doors, and watched him fall to the ground almost as soon as he stepped onto the platform. I looked to the train doors, which were closing, and saw a young man, he seemed like a high school student, looking down at this FBI agent has a heart attack wracked his body. Although the boy had his hood up I could see the smirk on his face, a look of victory. The agent twisted his body around until his eyes met the boy's.

"Kira…" the agent forced out before he closed his eyes and the vision faded away.

Without the vision, the dark train station seemed overwhelmingly empty. I looked to my side, where the woman was standing once more.

"That man…You loved him?" She nodded. "And he was killed by Kira?" She frowned deeply and, again, nodded. "Did Kira kill you, too?"

"I…I don't know…" We both fell silent until she spoke again. "When the Kira killings started, the Japanese police called the FBI for help with the investigation…Raye and I…we came here so he could meet my parents."

I could see tears welling in her eyes as she relived these moments of her life, of that man's…Raye.

"He…He got called to work on the case. He was supposed to be investigating someone, someone close to the police. All their families were being looked at."

_But this person…He was the main suspect…Raye Penbar was supposed to follow him…_

I recognized the voice almost immediately: the ghost that never told me his name. It had been a while since I'd heard it, since I'd felt that pain in my chest.

"Did Raye die before he could finish his investigation?"

A tear slid down her cheek as she nodded. She tried to say something, but only chocked on sobs. This was something that has always amazed me about ghosts. They prove that you can still feel something after death…sadness, anger…love.

"We were supposed to get married," she whispered, her voice so low I had to strain to hear it. "We were going to have a life together…This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!"

Her voice then bounced off the walls of the train station, echoing around us. She turned away from me, wiping tears from her eyes. I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

_Help her…_

_Help him…_

_Please…Help all of us._

I winced against the pain I felt in my chest and tried my best to ignore it.

"The person Raye was investigating…Do you know who it was?"

"He wasn't allowed to tell me." She turned to face me. "It was Kira, wasn't it? The suspect he was following? That was Kira. I know it. That's why he's dead, why _we're_ dead."

_Yes…_

"Most likely."

"Hey!" a voice called out suddenly. Both ghosts disappeared. I turned around to see a fairly large man coming towards me. I gasped and stepped back. "Hey! Who's there?"

This wasn't the security guard who'd let me in, and it certainly didn't look like any security guard I'd seen around here. As he came closer to me I could see his torn jeans, stained white top, and tattered brown jacket. His scuffed work boots slammed down onto the floor hard.

"Who's there?" he called again. "What are you doing here? No one comes here now."

I swallowed. I've faced spirits who have the ability to cut you, bruise you, trap you and even kill you, but I had never faced a situation like this. Compared to this man, those dangerous spirits didn't scare me at all.

"Who're you? Huh? Who are you?"

I backed up again, but at that point he was close enough to clearly see me, and upon doing so his face lit up with delight. I could smell alcohol on his breath, most likely from the bar down the street.

"What're you doing down here?"

"Leave her alone." I looked behind the man and smiled at the person who'd made that last statement.

"Oh, happy to see me?" the man asked with a grin.

"Not you," I replied.

"Me," Lind said sternly, and he punched the man's back. The man grunted and spun around, wondering what he'd been hit by. That was when Lind punched him in the head. The man stumbled backwards, and if I hadn't moved fast enough he would have bumped into me.

"What the hell?!" the man shouted.

The man threw a wild punch, and Lind became intangible just in time to avoid being hit. The man then spun around, trying to pinpoint whatever it was he was fighting against. Lind rushed towards me, grabbed me the arm, and began to run to the front of the station. I stumbled as I tried to keep up with him, and luckily he kept me stable as we raced outside. I could hear the drunken man calling behind us, asking where I was going and why I was in such a hurry. I ignored him as Lind thrust me past the guard, who was jerked awake by the sound of my frantic footsteps.

"You…You find what you were looking for?" he asked, and I shouted a quick "yes" to him before getting into my car. Lind slipped into the passenger seat. I turned to him, pushing my bangs out of my face.

"Th-Thanks," I said, finally getting a chance to catch my breath.

"Don't mention it," he replied. We were silent for most of the drive, and although the silence was a little awkward I was willing to put up with it. I was glad to see Lind back. But after a while, I couldn't help but ask him…

"Hey Lind…Where have you been?"

"I've uhm…I've been thinking. About what happened."

With my eyes trained on the road I told him, "That was a while ago."

"Yeah...But…I still didn't mean it…I really did want to help you, Em."

"You did," I said. "Task Force agreed to talk to me."

"That's great!" I didn't have to look at him to tell that Lind was smiling. I turned to him, gave him a small smile, then turned back to the road. We were silent for a few more miles before I felt the need to speak up again.

"Listen…About that day…when you asked you about why you were on death row…"

"Em…I made some bad choices when I was younger, and I got into a lot of trouble."

"I understand. I'm…I'm still curious, but..."

I pulled into my drive way, plucked the keys from the ignition, and turned to face Lind. I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You tell me when you're ready, ok?" He covered my hand with his. I was surprise to find that, unlike other ghosts, he was warm. His touch felt comforting. His eyes lit up as he looked at me.

"Alright."

**A/N---**

Once again, I'm really really sorry that you guys had to wait so long. I hope this chapter was worth it.

Now, if any of you have seen my profile, I am leaving FanFiction on a month long hiatus for NaNoWriMo. I have to write a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days and it is going to demand my full writing attention. I plan on working a little bit on a new chapter for this story in between working on my NaNo word count, so expect a new chapter within the first two weeks of December. I'm sorry you'll have another long wait, but after November I hope to pick up with story again.

See you in December!

~Shadeslayer


	8. February 1st, 2009

I probably don't even have any readers anymore, but for anyone who is looking at this, I'm so sorry it took me so long. There's been a lot of crap going on around here and this became a lesser priority. But it's back, and I'm really happy with how this chapter came out, so I'd love some feedback on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. OCs and plot belong to me.

**February 1st, 2009**

It was dark. I could see nothing but a faint, red glimmer on the walls. I couldn't tell what it was and something told me I did not want to know. The light, which came from a fixture at the center of the ceiling, began to flicker, casting strange shadows over the red on the wall. There was a buzzing sound, and then the light came on fully. I looked down, and immediately wished I hadn't, for in front of me lay a mangled and broken corpse, on its back, eyes open in horror, mouth in a permanent 'o', making me believe the person had died screaming. Breathing heavily with fear I spun around threw my hand at the doorknob, turning and shaking it until the door began to moan in protest. It was locked. I was trapped.

I heard the floorboards creak and turned around to see a shadowy figure facing me, tall and slim with an arm raised above its head. I looked to its hand, high above me, and saw the blade of a knife glimmering, blood drying on its menacing teeth. I backed up and the figure came forward and I could see it begin to swing its arm down as if in slow motion as I slid down the wall, throwing my hands over my head and screaming as loud as I could manage.

I was shaking, and then, as the image fading, I felt myself being shaken. My eyes snapped open and I flung myself forward, shouting until my lungs hurt.

"Em! Em!" Strong hands grasped my shoulders and my heart was pounding hard against my chest, I could hear it beating frantically in my ears. "Em, it's okay. It's okay."

Lind slid his arm around me, held me close to him as I broke down in tears. He ran his hand gently along my back and whispered to me that it was alright, that I was safe. He waited until my breathing had slowed, until my sobs had died down, before pulling away slightly.

"Em," Lind whispered. "What did you see?"

I swallowed hard and shook my head.

"I don't want to think about it," I said quietly. Silently detaching myself from Lind I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and hopped down. I quickly went into the bathroom and flicked on the light. I turned the water on in the sink and splashed some of it in my face. When I looked back into the mirror I saw not only my reflection but another figure behind me. I gasped and jumped and turned around only to find that it was Naomi Misora.

"Naomi," I breathed, relief apparent in my voice. She looked up at me, her eyes sad. I thought back to the dream, still fresh in my mind, wondering if maybe…

"That wasn't a dream, was it? That was a vision you gave me," I said to her, and she nodded. "Why?"

"He needs help, but he won't take it from you," Naomi said.

"Who wants help?" I asked, confused. "Raye?"

"No," she said. She was quiet, looking down at her feet, and I waited. She then suddenly snapped her head up and said, "Get to him. Help him. Before he destroys her."

"Destroys who?" I wanted to know, but Naomi vanished without giving me an answer.

_Save them…_

My chest felt tight, and I grabbed at my heart as I dropped to my knees on the tiled floor.

_Save them…_

And then it was gone. I caught my breath and then stood up. Lind was still in my bedroom, sitting where I had left him.

"Are you ok?" he asked. I nodded, and then shook my head furiously, and then, after a moment of thought, nodded again. He raised an eyebrow and drifted over to me. "Are you sure?"

"I saw Naomi," I blurted.

"What did she say?"

"She told me someone needed my help, that I had to get to them before they destroyed someone else."

"What does that mean?"

"No clue." Lind sighed and stepped backwards, took a seat on the bed. I sat down by the computer and stared at the lines in the wood on my chair. The silence we were submerged in was awkward, but didn't last very long. I heard Lind sigh again, longer and deeper, and I looked up.

"I know you don't want to think about it," he said, "but you're going to have to tell me what you saw in that vision."

I swallowed hard and ran a hand through my hair. I closed my eyes, thinking back to the horrors that had haunted my sleep, and recounted the whole thing for Lind. When I finished he was quiet in thought for a few minutes.

"Well?" I urged.

"Maybe…" He paused, mulling over his words. "Maybe the ghost she's talking about was the corpse?"

"The corpse?" I asked.

"Yeah…corpse. What? I'm wrong, aren't I?"

"No, no, I just hadn't thought of that. You might actually be right."

"Really?" He grinned with pride. I nodded.

"We won't know for sure until we investigate it, but the corpse could be our ghost," I said. "But we have one problem."

"What's that?" Lind questioned.

"How the hell do we investigate this?"

"I guess we'll have to start small," Lind said. I eyed him carefully.

"And how do we do that?" Lind thought for a moment and while he was thinking the phone began to ring. I was considering letting the machine pick up, but when I looked at the caller ID and saw the name 'Yagami' scrolling across it I felt obligated to answer.

"Hello?"

"I-Is th-th-this Em?" It was a girl's voice, not too old but not too young either. She was stuttering and tripping over her words, like she was scared.

"Yes," I said slowly. "Who is this?"

"S-Sayu Yagami," she forced out. I could feel her fear through the phone now. I guessed she was trembling.

"Sayu," I said softly. "How did you get this number?"

"My d-dad had it with w-work stuff. I-I heard him talking a-a-about you. Is it true?"

"Is what true, Sayu?"

"D-Do you see them?" She didn't need to say anything else. I understood her.

"Yes," I sighed. "Yes, I see them."

I paused, listened to her frantic breathing.

"Do you?" I asked. I heard her mumble, but I couldn't make out what she said. There was a long pause before she spoke again. She told me she wanted me to write down an address, and I did. I asked her why she wanted me to do this. She was silent again for a long while, so silent I had thought that maybe she hung up, or the call dropped.

"I think I need your help," she whispered, hardly audible, and then I heard the distinct click of disconnection. I waited for a few minutes, frozen in my spot, staring down at the floor and going over Sayu's words in my head with the phone still held to my ear as if her voice would float back into the receiver at any moment.

_If you would like to make a call, please hang up and try again_.

I clicked the phone off, settled it into its cradle, and let a long, dramatic sigh.

"What was that all about?" Lind asked. I shook my head, massaged my temples with the tips of my fingers.

"Get to him," I said, Naomi's words rolling off my tongue without me even realizing it. "Help him. Before he destroys her."

"Woah wait," Lind said. "What are we talking about now."

"Help him. Before he destroys her," I repeated, and I met Lind's eyes with my own. "I need to get to the Yagamis."

Lind didn't question me. He watched as I quickly threw my coat over myself, haphazardly laced up my boots. He handed me my car keys when I almost left them behind. He reminded me to watch out for ice on the roads, warned me when I was coming to a red light too fast, tapped my shoulder when I had been to lost in my own thoughts to see the light turn green. He read the address Sayu had given to me over and over until he had it completely memorized and didn't even have to look at the scrap of paper when I asked for the millionth time.

It took about an hour for me to locate the house that this address belonged to. I parked on the street and made my way slowly up the front steps. I hesitated at the front door, staring at it until Lind reminded me that I couldn't just phase through it like he could—knocking was the proper protocol. So knocking it what I did, and in a short minute the door creaked open, revealing Soichiro Yagami.

"Em?" he asked, surprise etched across his features. I reached into my pocket, grabbed a piece of gum and jammed it into my mouth as quickly as I could.

"Um…I got a call from a girl. She said her name was Sayu." Soichiro's brows knitted together.

"Why was my daughter calling you?" he asked. " How did she even get your number?"

"She said she found it with your things from work. But how she got my number isn't important, Mr. Yagami. She asked…about them."

"Them?" I let out a breath, bit down hard on my gum.

"The ghosts." Soichiro thought for a moment, and then opened the door wider and stepped aside to let me in.

"What did Sayu say to you?" he asked me as we both settled ourselves on his couch. I felt uncomfortable, but I tried to hide the fact. His daughter needed help, and I was the only who could give it to her.

"Mr. Yagami, has Sayu been acting…different than her usual self lately?" I'd struck a nerve. I could see him clench his hands together, I could hear him grind his teeth.

"Em…Of course she has." I tilted my head.

"How old is Sayu?" I asked, figuring that maybe she was going through those rough teenager years.

"It's not puberty, hormones, school or anything of the sort," Soichiro said, reading my mind. He sighed, leaned his elbows on his knees and pinched the bridge of nose. "Sayu was kidnapped."

I didn't know what to say. Were there words for things like this? A set list of things to respond with when someone drops a bomb like that on you?

"I'm sorry."

"So am I," Soichiro said, more to himself than to me. "She went through so much. Her mind…She couldn't take it. Her life was on the line. She didn't think she was going to make it. She hasn't been the same since. She's…She's in a wheelchair now, because she can hardly stand to walk. She's too weighed down by all the memories. She wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, but she won't talk to any of us. She's so withdrawn."

I gave him a moment, either to think of something else to tell me or to just collect himself after everything he had just spilled onto the table.

"Mr. Yagami, has Sayu ever started to…Well, to talk to someone that isn't actually there?"

He starts to say no, but stops himself. He thinks for a few dragging seconds and then meets my eyes.

"She whispers when she does it," he says. "Like she doesn't want us to know. But my wife says she's heard Sayu say things like 'Get away from me' or 'Stop'. She tried to confront Sayu, but she just won't open up. Nobody can get anything out of her. We've been to therapists and psychologists and they all think she's insane. They want to put her on meds…Lock her up." His eyes narrowed with intensity. "My daughter is not crazy."

We are both quiet and I can see a play off emotion over his face, realization lighting in his eyes.

"You don't think…?"

"May I speak with Sayu, Mr. Yagami?" I asked. He considered it and then stood.

"Follow me," he said, and I did. He led me into a room towards the back of the house. "Since she got the wheelchair, my wife moved her into the guest room. Easier access for her."

I nodded at his explanation. He rapped on the door lightly, then rested his hand on the knob.

"Sayu?" He inched the door open slightly. "Sayu, sweetie, can I come in?"

I peered into the room from behind Soichiro. It was dark, lit by one window on the far wall. The girl was sitting in her wheelchair at that window, gazing outside where her mother was tending to a garden. She didn't look at me or her father, she just nodded in response to his question. He stepped inside, and then let me in, and then he closed the door behind him.

This is the part where I let my instinct take over. I crossed the room and knelt in front of Sayu, so that I was level with her. She wouldn't look me in the eye, her gaze was trained out the window.

"Sayu," I said softly. "My name is Em. We talked earlier, on the phone."

"I remember," Sayu said quietly. She tried to meet my eyes but couldn't. Instead she let her eyes drop to the floor. "Can you help me?"

"Sayu, do you see ghosts?" I asked her. She shook her head. "Can you hear them?" She nods.

"Can you help me?" she repeats. I placed my hand over hers. The touch shocked her, and she made a first attempt to pull away but decided against it at the last minute and simply rested her hand on her lap.

"Yes," I whispered. She looked me in the eyes."Yes, I can help you."

**Think twice.**

Sayu heard the voice, too. I could tell by the way her muscles tensed, by the shiver than ran up her spine.

**She's mine.**

"No," Sayu said in a voice so tiny I needed to strain to hear it.

**Yes.**

"No!" Sayu screamed, and she slap?ed her hands over her ears. She hummed to herself, to block out the sound, but that cool voice kept streaming between us, a barrier of sorts.

**You can't get rid of me.**

I saw a form behind her. Crimson eyes shimmered in the shadows, obscured by unkempt black locks. Blood stains dotted pale skin, a knife gleamed in the figure's hand. He bent down over Sayu, breathing down her neck. She could feel him. She shivered harshly.

"Go away," she said, her voice shaking. He leaned in closer, huffed a cold breath onto her skin. "Get out!" she shouted. The figure looked at me with his haunting eyes.

**You heard her.**

His lips never moved, but I heard his icy voice clear in my head.

"Em," I jolted, stood up, and spun to face Soichiro. "I think Sayu's had enough."

I glance at the figure, who has his knife touching Sayu's neck. She shudders at the feeling of the cold metal on her skin. He looks at me again, smirks, and then disappears. Sayu is still shaking, the memory of him trapped in her mind.

I walked out of the room with Soichiro. Once he was sure Sayu is completely out of ear shot, he turned to me.

"What the hell was that?" he wanted to know.

"I've never seen it before," I said. "But I've heard of it."

"Of what?" Soichiro pleaded, and all the air of the police officer I'd known him as washed away. He was simply a father desperate to help his daughter.

"Trauma victims are sometimes so emotionally stressed that their brains re-wire themselves. The logical part, the part that keeps normal people, like you and your wife and your task force, thinking that ghosts are a figure of the imagination, is lost. The logical part makes people like you think people like me are psychotic. When a trauma victim's brain gets re-set, and it lets go of that part, it opens a door. Now, those victims can hear, see, feel, touch, and sometimes smell ghosts. Sayu, she can't see that ghost, but she can hear him just as clearly as she hears you or me. She can feel his touch and it's as real as this." I placed my hand on Soichiro's arm to demonstrate. "I don't want to confirm this until I do a little research, but it looks like that's what's happening here."

"Can you help her?" he asked me. "If all of that is true, can help Sayu? Can you get that ghost away from her?"

I was quiet. This ghost was dangerous, I could see that. I didn't know if I could handle him on my own, so I didn't want to promise Soichiro that I would. I stared at him and felt a certain determination come over me. The worry he had for his daughter was the same worry my own mother had when I'd dealt with my friend threatening spirit quite a number of years ago, an old drunken abuser who terrorizing his wife from beyond the grave. I'd saved that woman then; I'd gotten the ghost away. I had to do that same thing now, for Sayu.

"Mr. Yagami," I said. "Everything is going to be ok."

Something came over him then. He could feel a transfer between us. He placed all his trust in me in that single moment.

"Ok," he said, soft, and then a little louder. "Ok."


	9. February 4th, 2009

After so long I'd be shocked if I still had some readers for this. I'm so so so sorry it took me so long to update. After NaNoWriMo '08 all my fanfiction works-in-progresses were dropped for a long while because I was busy editing. Then when I sat down to write I kept getting writers block. I really hope this chapter makes up for the incredibly long wait. And if there are any typos towards the end please excuse them, I wrote that part at about one in the morning.

**February 4th, 2009**

Professor Haruto Daichi was probably the last person I would ever wish to talk to. He spent half his life studying ghosts, the paranormal, the afterlife and people like me. He used things like heat sensors and special cameras and tape recorders to get himself physical proof that ghosts exist. His office, where any other professor would have degrees and awards displayed on the walls, had pictures taken at night, in which orbs danced across landscapes and on sofas and people's skin. It was people like him that made the rest of the world think that people like me were utterly insane. But it was also people like him who could explain to me what exactly was happening to Sayu Yagami.

When I arrived at his office, Professor Daichi was bent over his desk, trailing a red marker along various photographs of a graveyard. He snapped his head up as I was closing the door behind me. A grin spread across his face, the pride that he emitted bounced off the walls of the room.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" he asked, holding up one of the photographs. In it there was a tombstone, and around the stone there was a bright colored orb with small specks of dust around it. The ink of the red marker the professor had in his other hand was curled around the bright orb. I sighed deeply.

"Sure," I muttered, jamming my hand into my coat pocket and thumbing my packet of gum. I knew I was going to need at least one piece to get through this visit.

"I see you're as enthusiastic as ever," Professor Daichi said, putting down the photo and sitting behind his desk. I settled myself into the seat across from him and scrubbed my hands over my face. It took all my willpower not to let him know that he had a greater chance of winning the lottery than running into a ghost in a graveyard.

"Hypothetical situation," I began, and he seemed to perk up.

"I love those," he said cheerfully. "They're much better than your real ghost problems."

I shook my head and took out my gum, rolling the package between my fingers.

"Hypothetical situation," I repeated. "A person who is subject to serious emotional trauma starts hearing voices. What's going on?"

"Hmm," Professor Daichi thought for a few moments. "How serious is the emotional trauma? Are we talking no-toilet-paper-in-any-of-the-men's-room-stalls serious or oh-shit-I just-got dumped-in-the-center-of-a-circle-of-vicious man-eating-lions-and-I-have-nothing-to-protect-myself-with serious?"

"I'm-locked-in-a-room-with-an-angry-woman-and-I-have-nothing-to-defend-myself-with serious," I growled and Professor Daichi narrowed his eyes.

"That serious, huh?"

"Daichi," I hissed, and he held up his hands in defense.

"What kind of trauma are we talking about?" he asked.

"Kidnapping," I replied.

"Life-threatening?" he questioned.

"Yes." He tapped his chin in thought.

"How soon after the trauma did this person start to hear voices?"

"Is that really important?" In reality, I didn't have an answer. Sayu never told me, and neither did her father.

"Could be," said the professor, but he didn't wait for me to answer his question before running off on an explanation for Sayu's symptoms. "The human mind is a fragile thing," he said. "Put it under the slightest pressure and you risk it cracking."

He crumpled a piece of paper between his hands to demonstrate. He stood up and leaned over the desk, letting the paper ball fall onto my lap. I tossed it to the floor.

"What I think happened to your hypothetical person is that they cracked. The kidnapping was too much for their mind to handle. They crumbled under the pressure and in the process of doing that they opened up a new door in their mind."

"A door that lets them communicate with ghosts," I say, more of a question than a statement, and Professor Daichi frowned.

"Well what did you come to me for if you knew what I was going to say?"

I smiled as I took a piece of gum out of the package I still had in my hands. I unwrapped it and rolled the silver wrapper in my palm.

"Just wanted to clarify," I said before slipping the gum into my mouth. Professor Daichi shook his head.

"I'm giving a lecture in twenty minutes. Is there anything that you actually _need_ my help with?"

"Yes," I said and he tilted his head. "Don't bore your students to death. I still have spirits haunting me from the last lecture."

"Haha," the professor said dryly. "Very funny."

I laughed as I stood up, and when I turned I flicked my gum wrapper onto the floor. When Professor Daichi bent over to pick it up I took a book from the one of the shelves near the door, slipping it under my coat so that he wouldn't notice I had it if he looked back up.

When I got in the car I threw my now-empty package of gum into the glove compartment and ventured off to find the nearest gas station for two reasons: one, my car really did need gas and two, I really, really needed more gum.

While I let the gas station attendant fill up my car I went into the small convenience store. There weren't many people inside. The man working at the counter was flipping through the paper, the headline on the front boasting about the latest hit movies. There was another man, blonde and clad in leather, leaning against the wall staring at the candy display. I took a package of gum from the display and flicked it onto the counter. On second thought, I took two.

"Anything else?" the clerk muttered and I shook my head. "Two bucks."

I slapped the money on the counter and stuffed the two packs of gum into my coat pocket. I spun on my heel and made my way to the door, but when I got to the leather-clad blonde was blocking my way.

"Excuse me," I said, staring at him and expecting him to step aside so I could leave. He didn't budge. Instead he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a silver-wrapped chocolate bar. I rolled my eyes as he tore the wrapper open and snapped off a piece of the chocolate. "Excuse me," I said again, more forceful.

"Oh," he said nonchalantly. He took another bite of chocolate and pushed open the door, waiting for me to step through the threshold.

"Thank you," I replied and I shoved past him. Instead of closing the door behind me, though, he followed me outside. I tried my best to ignore him as I went to my car.

"Twenty-four eighty six," the attendant said, and when I reached for my money I saw the blonde man hand the attendant the exact amount. I turned towards him, eyes narrowed, and realized for the first time that there was something familiar about him.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked.

"Not really," he replied. He started to walk across the parking lot where a motorcycle sat waiting for him. "I want you to follow me," he said. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"And if I don't?" I inquired. He shrugged and swung a leg over the motorcycle.

"I'll follow you." I shook my head and got in the car. I tossed the book I'd taken from Professor Daichi's office into the back seat and pulled out one of the packages of gum I'd bought. I quickly broke the seal and took out a strip of gum, but before I had the chance to unwrap it Lind appeared.

"What the hell is that guy's problem?" he huffed.

"No idea," I replied.

"What are you gonna do about him?" Lind questioned. I glanced at my rearview mirror, watching the man adjust his motorcycle helmet.

"I recognize him," I said. Lind furrowed his brow.

"What, ex-boyfriend or something?" he asked, his tone a little too harsh. I cracked the gum I'd already been chewing while unwrapping the new piece.

"Not that," I said, kneading the fresh gum between my fingers.

"Then what?"Lind demanded. I shrugged and tossed the gum into mouth.

"I don't know," I said, keeping my gaze trained on the rearview mirror so I could watch as the man left the gas station and sped into the road. I put my key in the ignition, turned it slowly. "But I want to find out."

"Are you an idiot?!" Lind snapped as I pulled out of the gas station. I turned to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're going to follow that guy?!" I sighed deeply, leaned back in my seat and cracked my gum.

"That would just be stupid," I said. "I'm going to let him follow me."

"You what? How the hell is that any better?!"

I ignored Lind as best as I could as I continued down the road. I kept glancing at the rearview mirror, watching for the man. I had driven a good few miles by the time he appeared behind me. Beside me Lind continued on with his fit, his words bursting through my train of thought. Suddenly, though, Lind's constant chatter ceased and for the first time since I started the car I was driving in silence.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I…This…It…This isn't the way to your house," Lind stuttered.

"Of course it isn't," I scoffed. "You actually think I'd lead that creep to my house? That would just be dumb."

"Oh…I…Oh." I laughed and shook my head. I made a quick turn, and then another, zigzagging down roads that I hardly ever travelled. "So, um, where are you going?" Lind asked.

I shrugged. "Not sure, really."

I continued on for another fifteen or so minutes before I pulled over on the side of the road. On either side of the road were rows and rows of enormous trees. There was a fresh coating of snow on the ground which crunched under my feet as I walked into the forest. I leaned against a tree and watch the blonde man speed up to my car and stop in front of it. He pulled his helmet off his head and hug it on one of the handlebars, then walked over to me.

"Where the hell are we?" he asked.

"No clue," I replied, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "But let's skip the small talk. What do you want?"

"I've been watching you," he stated. Beside me I could feel Lind tense.

"Watching me," I repeated slowly. "That's a little…unsettling."

Lind growled deep in his throat.

"Not like 'creepy-stalker watching you'," the man said.

"What other kind of 'watching you' is there?" I retorted.

"Point taken," he said. He reached into his pocket and produced the same bar of chocolate he had at the gas station. He snapped a piece off of it before he continued. "I've just…noticed you."

"I've never seen you before in my life," I said flatly.

"Yes you have," he replied.

"Em," Lind said harshly. "I think we should go."

"Yeah," I replied. "Look, I don't know who the hell you are or what you want from me but if I see you again I swear to God I'll call the cops."

I started to walk back to my car but he grabbed my arm.

"Wait. Hear me out."

"Get away from me!" I snapped. I tore my arm free and stormed away, Lind at my heels.

"Should I go kick his ass?" Lind asked.

"No," I said, opening the car door. "I'll let the police handle that."

"Talking to ghosts?" the man replied, and just those three words made me stop in my tracks. My heart skipped a beat as I raised my eyes to look at him again.

"Excuse me?" He stepped towards me. Lind's shoulders tensed as he drew closer.

"January 5th, 2009, a woman about 5'2" with red hair stopped me the street and asked me if I knew anything about Takuo Shibuimaru."

"You…I did what?"

"I shrugged it off at first, but then out of curiosity I looked up the name. Takuo Shibuimaru died in 2003."

"And this brilliant discovery made you decide to become a stalker?"

"I said I'm not a stalker," he snapped, and he bit off another piece of his chocolate. "I'm just a very curious person."

"Well, that's very nice for you. Now, if you don't want me to press charges against you I suggest you let me leave now."

"You're working on the Kira case."

I was frozen in my spot, staring at him. Judging by the smirk he wore I must have looked pretty dumbfounded. When the numbness his statement gave me began to subside I slammed the car door shut and marched towards him. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Listen. I don't know who you are or what it is that you want from me, but what I do is special. Spirits come to me asking for help. No one else can hear them so I'm the only one who can do what they need done. Whether or not I've talked to the spirit of a Kira victim and whether or not I am working on the case to help this ghost is none of your business."

"Relax," he said. "I'm working on the case too. Just…Not exactly with the police. I was thinking that maybe we could help each other."

I shook my head and turned my heel, quickly walking back to my car. I paused for a moment with the door open and then looked back up at him.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Mello."

After another long paused I sighed deeply.

"There's a café by the University that I sometimes almost always stop by around 2 o'clock on Saturdays. It's small, but not a lot of people go there during the afternoon. The waiters are all teenagers who care more about the tip you leave them than the conversation you have over coffee, so no one would eavesdrop. If you really are serious, show up."

I slipped into the car and jammed my key into the ignition. I shot the blonde man one last glance before turning the key and driving away. Lind and I were both quiet on the drive home, both processing what had just occurred. When I got home I had a message waiting on my answering machine.

"Hi, Em, this is Matsuda from the task force. I know we haven't been in much contact with you recently, but I was asked to call and invite you to join us at our next meeting. If you're interested you can call be back at 555-6578."

I perked up slightly and re-played the message. Then I played it again. The fourth time I played it I scribbled down Matsuda's number. Lind sat next to me on the couch, anxiously writing his hands.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Call him," I replied. "I want to go."

**A/N---**

I'm sorry again for the long wait. Reviews would be greatly appreciated :3

-GS


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